Cubs adjusting to new reality

With youth movement in full swing, Sveum admits his approach may change

August 06, 2012|By Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune reporter

SAN DIEGO – The Cubs extended their losing streak to six games after Monday's 2-0 loss to the Padres at Petco Park, falling 21 games under .500 after playing at a .655 clip over their previous 29 games.

The offense couldn't find a way to score for Travis Wood, as rookie Brett Jackson struck out four times in the leadoff spot and five Padres pitchers held them to five hits. They went down without a fight, as the bullpen retired the last 11 Cubs hitters in order.

"It's never fun to strike out four times," Jackson said. "It's how well you can adapt amd how professional you can be. It's something I'll continue to work on and improve on."

But before the game, manager Dale Sveum made a candid admission about the meaninglessness of their won-loss record the rest of the way.

"You know we're going to be a little behind the eight ball when you have to match up against the Dodgers' lineup or their bullpen and things like that," he said. "Truthfully, a lot of this is development and watching. To tell you the truth, even as a manager, you probably do some things you wouldn't do in certain situations, just to see how a guy would handle (it) in the future."

Sveum meant leaving starters in longer than he otherwise would, or using relievers in roles they're not accustomed to at the major league level. The infusion of rookies has changed the mindset for the last eight-plus weeks of the season.

Sveum said everyone knew there was "a fairly decent chance" that the team would be blown up. The question is how long it will take for the Cubs' young players to jell and start winning on a consistent basis.

It may take a few years, even if most of the prospects pan out. If they don't, it could set the Cubs back for the better part of a decade.

"Right now we're starting to see where we're going to be and who we're going to be," Darwin Barney said. "It's hard to put a timetable on that. It's hard to know what kind of pieces are going to be filled in, where and with what. We're not looking at that.

"Everybody in this room wants to be a Cub, and everyone wants to win in Chicago. It's almost like we're fighting to be a Cub, and that's what's going to go on these next two months."

Adding to the degree of difficulty is the news that Matt Garza will be out indefinitely with right elbow stress reaction, leaving Jeff Samardzija as the closest thing to an ace. Samardzija was looking forward to seeing how the team responds to the upheaval.

"That's the way things go sometimes," Samardzija said. "Things change, and you've got to keep going with your work ethic and what you're doing to have a good season. You've just got to be ready for anything, I guess."

While Ryan Dempster's departure was the media focus at the trade deadline, the losses of Reed Johnson and Jeff Baker hurt as well. They were role players, but it's impossible to overstate their influence on some of the younger players in the clubhouse.

"It's weird," Barney said. "All the guys that showed me the ropes and what it was like to be in the big leagues are not here anymore. It's kind of the turn of the tide. We're going to see what we've got."